Shadow from the past
by Sweetylove30
Summary: After a fight with Lisbon, Jane is send away on a case. It is then that someone from their past comes back to haunt them, starting with Lisbon. Will they find out who it is before something bad happen? [the story takes place after Lisbon started dating Pike] Rating T/M
1. Prologue

**A/N****: Hi everyone. I started writing this fic in April in French. After a while, I decided to translate it in English and I hope that you will like it.**

**The story takes place after Lisbon started dating Pike. I really don't like the guy, and not just because he had been with Lisbon for a few weeks. For me, Jane and Lisbon belong together. **

**I have 10 chapters written and I don't really know how many more I will write. When I start a story, I never know how long it would be.**

**I would like to thank Jane Doe51, my beta, for her help with the translation. We both are French and I would like to apologize for any mistakes we could have missed. **

**Now, I let you read that chapter.**

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><p><em>After a fight with Lisbon, Jane is send away on a case. It is then that someone from their past comes back to haunt them, starting with Lisbon. Will they find out who it is before something bad happen?<em>

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><p><strong><span>Shadow from the past<span>  
><strong>

**Prologue**

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><p>Lisbon had just returned home after spending the evening with Marcus Pike. She had been dating the agent for two months now and everything was fine between them. She had never considered dating an FBI agent, or anyone working in law enforcement. It was pretty hard for a cop to have a private life, let alone having a family. Impossible schedules, very little free time. Constantly putting your life in danger. Here's what awaited every cop.<p>

For a long time, she had accepted the idea of having a normal life, a companion, someone to love. She had a job in which she excelled and everything she needed. At least until Patrick Jane had entered her life. The day he arrived, he had changed her life. It took her a while, but she ended up enjoying it and they even became friends.

Jane had always been more or less distant, secret. Still, she had developed some sort of affection for him, which subsequently became more than that. She had gradually fallen in love with him. Of course, it took her years before she realized and admit it. The first time was when he had disappeared for six months to find the murderer of his family. This long separation, this silence.… it had been unbearable. She had had the impression of being abandoned over again, having lost what mattered most to her.

Then he came back and had asked her to follow him in one of his plans. As always, she had followed him, couldn't bear to lose him. When he had told her that he loved her, she thought that her heart would jump out of her chest. It was like a dream come true. Unfortunately, he had taken back his words and that had almost broken her heart. She knew that those words were hard for Jane to say, they were too important. She also knew that he meant them, even if he had taken them back. He had been afraid and she couldn't blame him. He was still in her life and she was content with that. They were friends and the most important to her was having him in her life.

Time had passed, until he found his enemy and killed him. She always knew this day would come, and she could do nothing to stop him, even though she had always promised herself to do so. She had always refused to see him become a criminal, it was unbearable. But he did. Then he disappeared without telling her where he was going and if she would see him again someday. During his absence, she had lost her job, the life she had built. She had tried to start over elsewhere. It had not been easy, she had suffered a lot. Nobody would give her a job, because of what had happened with the CBI. For everyone, the officers were all corrupted and she couldn't blame them. If it had been her, she would have thought the same thing, would have been suspicious.

But with much perseverance, she got a job as sheriff. It wasn't the job of her dreams, but at least she did something that was close to her training and what she had done throughout her life. It had take some time, but eventually she had gotten used to her new life. She had kept in touch with Rigsby and Van Pelt. They had become friends after leaving the CBI. They sometimes came to see her, to talk about everything and nothing. They had even asked her to be the godmother of their daughter.

And then one day, a letter arrived, a letter that would change everything for her. After months of silence, Jane had sent her a letter to give her some news. She had felt her heart beating again, as if it had stopped since Jane had left. Several others had followed after that and every night she make it a habit to settle on the sofa with a glass of wine and a box in which she had placed all the letters. Contrary to what she thought, he had not completely abandoned her. He informed her as often as possible that he was fine, telling her what he did every day. Never telling her where he was, he told her his habits and just for that, she loved him more.

But now, as she was well settled in her new life, agent Abbott had come to see her. She had not seen him since the investigation that had ended the CBI. He wanted information about Jane and his whereabouts. She had not answered, she couldn't say anything to him anyway because she knew nothing. But the man had finally found Jane and brought him back to the US. Then they had made her come to Austin where she had seen Jane for the first time in two years.

Her joy was back. Jane was back. But her smile had disappeared by the time Jane had refused to adhere to the contract offered to him by Abbott. He would only agree to the terms he had written on a napkin. She had tried not to laugh. But when this woman had come in, agent Kim Fischer, Lisbon had felt her heart stop. She knew Jane, she even seemed to know him well. He had called her _Kim_, not agent Fischer.

His refusal to accept the FBI's terms had led him to a jail cell for three months. And then, she had started writing to him, to show her support and affection for him. After all, he had agreed to return under certain conditions and the first was to work with _her_, _Teresa Lisbon_. Even if she had not liked that he'd been making decisions about her life, she had enjoyed being part of his priorities.

Subsequently, agent Fischer had come to see her to ask for help on a case, and thus work with Jane again. She knew from the beginning that this was not a good idea, that she was likely to be controlled by her feelings for this man who had never brought anything good for her career. But it had been about Jane and his freedom. It had been the only way to get him out of jail and she was desperate to get him out. Knowing that Jane was so close and yet so far. She couldn't leave him there. So she had agreed.

After that, everything happened very quickly. He had worked his way as always. He had taken initiatives without telling anyone and she had felt left alone again. She had pointed it out to him and she'd seen the pain in his eyes. She had blamed herself at first, she didn't like to hurt him. But he must understand what she had felt when he had left, two years ago, and then a few hours earlier.

She knew that when he went away during those two years, it was to protect her. He didn't want her having to testify against him, he wouldn't force her to lie for him. Because she would have. She knew what he had done was wrong, but her feelings for him were so strong that she couldn't stand the thought of him in prison and would have done everything she could to avoid it. She didn't really blame him, even if the distance between them had been difficult.

But during the investigation, she had really believed that he had fled again and she had yet to find him. It had hurt her so badly and she had wanted him to understand. He had realized it, she had seen it in his eyes. And later, when she went to see him in his cell to tell him she was willing to work with the FBI, with him, the stars in his eyes had warmed her heart.

Time had passed. Lisbon was well established in her new life, in her new job. Her position at the FBI was perfect. She was no longer in charge of Jane and therefore did not have to fix things when he messed up. Things became easier and more difficult at the same time.

She had thought that things would change now that Red John was dead. There was no longer a threat, they could finally let speak their feelings. Because she knew Jane had feelings for her. They had known each other for over fourteen years, had been friends all this time. If Jane had tried to protect her throughout these years it was because she mattered to him. The _Love you _three years ago meant something.

But nothing had changed. Jane had remained the same. The only difference was that they were not working together. Jane teamed up with Fischer and she stayed in the office. Sometimes she went to the field, but she was no longer partner with Jane and it hurt. He seemed pleased, however, and she was satisfied. She loved to see the smile on his face, hear him laugh sometimes. The only problem was that it was not with her but with Fischer. She was jealous, but couldn't do anything about it.

Then there was the art case. She had teamed up with Jane for the first time in almost six months. Better yet, she had to pretend to be his girlfriend. And though she would never admit it, she had enjoyed it. If she wasn't mistaken, Jane had also enjoyed working with her so closely. Holding hands, his hand on the small of her back when they passed a door. All those little things that meant so much to them.

They had solved the case, as always. And then something changed, something that she didn't expect. Marcus Pike, the FBI agent who had requested their help, invited her to eat pancakes with him. He had been direct, telling her she was a beautiful woman and he that wanted to know her better. He had done what Jane had never done, he had been honest with her from the start.

She had agreed, blushing slightly. Spending an evening with a man, feeling like a woman… it was something that hadn't happened to her for so long. But as they prepared to leave, Jane had appeared. She saw the pain in his eyes when he realized that she had decided not to wait until he was ready. Of course, at that time she had not considered that things would go so well between her and Marcus.

They had been dating since that day two months earlier. They got along well, more than well. They had many things in common, enjoyed a night out after work. She hadn't been that happy for so long and it was all thanks to Marcus. He always seemed to know when she wasn't feeling well, when she preferred to stay home at night rather than going out. He didn't always stay with her, he would go out alone. She didn't blame him. She wasn't always of good company, she did not even know why.

Sometimes it felt like if melancholy was taking possession of her being, as if something was missing in her life. Yet she had everything to be happy: a job she liked, a boyfriend she loved, a stable life. What more could she want? But she wasn't the only one affected by this. She had noticed that Jane sometimes had the same look she had. She didn't know how to help him, she didn't even know how to help herself.

Tonight, she still had a great night, with Marcus. They went to the restaurant a little too fancy for her taste. The man had a habit of taking her to places like this, he liked to see her wearing beautiful dresses. She didn't like that, but she had seen his eyes when he had set eyes on her, his admiration. For that alone, she had made an effort.

Lisbon dropped her jacket on the couch and walked to the kitchen to make tea. She put the kettle on, took a cup of the closet and put it on the counter. She was tired, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Her evening had been good, but the day a little less. Their case had been closed in less than a week, luckily. They didn't even have to leave the city. Everything had been more or less fine.

The only problem was Jane. He had not done anything illegal, he had not insulted anyone. He had followed the orders of agent Fischer without discussing and that just didn't seem normal. It had been a long time since he had done anything to upset anyone. Lisbon was a little worried. Jane had always had the habit of doing what he wanted, piss people off, to achieve his ends.

The last time he had not followed the orders and had put his life in danger was when Grace had been abducted. Haibach had come after someone that mattered to him and Jane had never allowed that. Nobody had the right to attack his family. Lisbon understood it perfectly well, she also didn't like anyone harming her beloved ones. If only she could have done something ... But Jane had done it for her, without telling her, putting himself in danger to save her life.

Since the art case, Jane had changed. He was no longer the carefree man he was before, he wasn't smiling like before. She often saw him sitting on his couch, lost in thoughts. She had tried to get a reaction from him, to make him smile again. Sometimes it worked, but when the evening came, he became sad and distant again. She didn't like the new Jane he had become, it made her sad, but she could not help it.

When the water began to boil, Lisbon let her thoughts drift away and prepared her tea. She shouldn't been thinking about all of that but about her new life. Marcus had told her he had plans for the weekend but hadn't wanted to say more. She was eager to find out what he was planning to do. Maybe a weekend away from the city and from work? She would like it. Maybe being away would allow her to think of something else than Jane. She doubted it, but she could always hope.

Lisbon grabbed her cup and walked to the living room. She was about to settle on the couch when she heard a car engine, saw headlights through the living room window and the engine stopped. She paid no more attention and made herself comfortable on the couch, grabbed the book she had left on the coffee table and opened it to start reading. It was only then that she heard a knock at the door. Looking at the time, Lisbon huffed and got up to go see who it was at this late hour.

When she opened the door, Jane was standing there, looking as sad as usual. This squeezed her heart and she took his arm to get him in. She walked over to the couch where he sat. She went quickly to the kitchen and came back with a cup of tea that she brought to him. He took the cup without a word. She sat next to him silently. She didn't know what was wrong, but he needed a friend. She would be there for him as long as he needed her.

They stood for several minutes in silence. Lisbon felt that fatigue was beginning to set in, her eyes began to burn a little. She needed to sleep, but she couldn't send Jane away, not now when he really needed her. So she waited a little longer, maybe he would speak. She looked up at him to see him stare at her with the same sad look that he often had. Without knowing why, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. And for the first time in years, she saw a small smile appear on his face.

- "I'm sorry Lisbon," he whispered softly.

- "Sorry for what?" She questioned.

- "For disturbing you so late," he replied. "But I don't know ... I needed to see you, I needed reassurance that everything was fine."

- "I'm fine Jane," she reassured him. "Why would I not be?"

- "I ... I haven't had a lot of chances to see you lately, I'm always on the field with Fischer and I no longer work with you."

- "I know," she whispered, looking down. "I miss it too. I loved working with you and I would like to do it again."

- "Really?" His eyes lit up. "I could talk to Abbott."

Lisbon smiled. Yes, she would love to work with him again, find the complicity they had shared before.

- "It's late, I should go," said Jane, pretending to stand up. But Lisbon held him by the hand and he dropped a surprised look at her.

- "You can sleep here if you want," she timidly said.

- "I… wouldn't want to intrude," he declined. "What would Pike think?"

- "We are not married," she said. "You seem tired and I would feel more comfortable if you stayed here."

- "Very well."

Lisbon smiled and stood up. She picked up the cup she left in the sink before returning to Jane. He was waiting on the couch. She remembered a few weeks ago, during their last case together and that made her smile. He was about to fall asleep. But Lisbon could not let him sleep there, he would be much more comfortable in a real bed.

She walked over to him, grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs with her. He followed her without a word to the guest room. He entered the room and went to sit on the bed. He looked at Lisbon as she took some clothes out of the dresser and smiled. Some clothes belonging to one of her brothers, he thought. He remembered that once, years earlier, he had slept at her place and she had given him similar clothes to sleep in. She had explained that Tommy had forgotten them long ago when he had sent her a surprised look.

She approached him to give him the clothes that he took with a smile. They stared at each other a moment before Lisbon leaned over him and laid her lips on his cheek. She stayed longer than necessary, enjoying the softness of his skin under her lips, the smell of his cologne she loved so much. How many times had she dreamed of doing that? All too often, and now she could.

She stood up to leave, but Jane held her by the hand. Surprised, she looked at him to see his eyes changed. His eyes grew dark, his breathing became more difficult. She felt her cheeks blushing under his intense gaze, she knew what he had in mind. She also knew that it was not a good idea, she was involved with another man. She could not do that.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, her feelings for Jane were much stronger than the ones she had for Marcus. When Jane put a hand on her cheek, she leaned toward him and, after a glance, she kissed him softly on the lips. He kissed her back as tenderly, encircling her waist with his free arm. He made her move and she found herself on his lap. She felt his desire for her between her tights, through his pants. The heat got into her body and the kiss became more intense.

Jane put his hands on Lisbon's chest and stroked it before gently undoing the buttons of her shirt. She let him do it. She knew it was crazy, she shouldn't do that. A thought for Marcus crossed her mind but quickly disappeared when Jane's hand touched her breast through her bra. As she had suspected all these years, even in that department, Jane was gifted, knowing full well what she liked, which gave her pleasure without having to ask.

He gently discharged her of her clothes, laid her on the bed and the rest of the world disappeared. There was Jane, his hands on her body, his lips on her skin, his entire body on her. She did not realize that she had helped him to take off his clothes, just the feeling of her naked body on his was what she had always wanted, what she had been waiting for so long. She let herself be overwhelmed by her desire and love for this man.

**- oooo -**

In the morning, Lisbon was awakened by a hand caressing her bare back. She felt chills run through her body, the heat rising in her once again. She turned around and her eyes met Jane's. She sat up suddenly, dragging the sheet, revealing her naked body. Jane had a smile and she blushed, pulling the sheet over her to cover her up.

- "There is nothing I haven't seen before," he smiled.

But she didn't feel like smiling. She had just made the biggest mistake of her life by sleeping with Jane and she knew she could not go back. She loved this man more than life. But she was with another man she liked very much, who was willing to take risks to make their relationship work. That night with Jane had only made things more difficult for her.

- "What's wrong Teresa?" He asked, worried.

- "It was a mistake," she said, and she saw the pain in his eyes. "It must not happen again, never."

- "Teresa ..." Tried Jane.

- "No," she cut him off. "You had your chance, you had years and now that I've finally found someone, that I'm finally happy, you do that." She paused before continuing. "You should go. We will never speak about it again."

She left the room and locked herself in the bathroom, without a glance at Jane. She knew she had hurt him, broken his heart. But hers had been broken so often that she couldn't take the risk of it happening again. She had to protect herself. She loved Jane, and would always love him. But she couldn't let him take her heart and reduce it to ashes when he was done with her.

She heard him get dressed and leave the room. She slid down the door and cried. It hadn't happened to her for a long time and she had vowed never to let it happen ever again. And as always, she hadn't kept her promise. She had hurt Jane and she knew he would suffer for a long time. But he would eventually move on, at least she hoped. What she hoped above all was she hadn't broken his heart too much. She would not forgive herself if she had.

After a few minutes, Lisbon got up and went to shower. She didn't want to be late for work, she didn't want anyone asking her why she wasn't in time when she was always the first in the office. The hot water did her good and she let her thoughts wander to another time when things were much less complicated. A time when working with Jane was more or less easy, when she had to make sure he didn't do too much nonsense. She regretted that time, when they were just friends. Although she had always wanted more from their relationship, now everything was different. A relationship with Jane was impossible and what they had done would make things even more complicated.

Lisbon came out of the shower and got ready quickly. She took one last look to the bed where she had spent the most wonderful night of her life, bravely kept the tears that threatened to fall and left the room. Arriving in the kitchen, she was greeted by a good smell of coffee and despite herself, she smiled. Jane. Despite what she had done to him, he continued to take care of her. This led her to wonder if she really had made the right decision. Could she really say that a relationship with Jane was impossible when she saw what he was doing for her every day?

Marcus was a good man, he made her laugh, they were happy. He was everything a woman could dream to find in a man. But he was not Jane and never would be. He didn't really know her, knew nothing of the darkness of her childhood, the suffering she went through throughout her life. He only knew about her what she had told him, which wasn't much. Jane knew everything without her ever saying anything. He had learned to know her and she had no secrets for him.

She took a sip of coffee and images of the past crossed her mind. Jane bringing her a cup of coffee in the morning, Jane lying on her couch, simulating a nap, Jane annoying powerful people and her cleaning his mess. Jane giving her a pony for her birthday, them sharing an ice cream on a workday. Small moments that were so important to her. No, she couldn't do that to him, she couldn't deny him what he wanted most, what could finally make him happy. And more over, she could not refuse herself the right to happiness when all she had always wanted was right in front of her.

She then took a decision. She would give them a chance. She had to make him understand her point of view, why she had rejected him this morning. She loved him, he had to know. But he must also understand that all this was not easy for her, that loving him was the most dangerous weapon against her, because this love could make her as happy as it could break her. He had to know the power he had over her. He always knew everything about her. So he must have known what it meant to her.

Lisbon put her cup in the sink and realized that the ones from the previous day were not there anymore. Jane had washed them. It brought a small smile on her face. She took her hand-bag and was about to leave when an envelope on the ground outside the door caught her attention. She bent down to pick it up, turned it to see that there was nothing written on it. Curious, she opened it and her smile disappeared. She quickly read the letter, her heart rate accelerating with every word.

The letter wasn't signed, so she didn't know who it was from. But whoever had sent it didn't want her any good. Maybe she should talk to someone, like Abbott? No, she could not. She didn't want him to think she was not able to take care of herself. She was a cop, she could protect herself. Whoever that person was, she could defend herself against them.

She shoved the letter in her bag and left the house. She would see to that later, for now she had something important to do, talk to Jane. She had to apologize for her behavior this morning. Then she should talk to Marcus. It would not be easy, not after the two months they had shared. But she couldn't silence her heart telling her that Jane was the one she wanted, not Marcus. She knew that that would hurt him and she felt bad. But her love for Jane was much stronger, had always been. The time she had spent with Marcus was great and she would always be grateful to him for having made her feel loved. But she could not continue.

Lisbon quickly arrived at the FBI, parked her car and entered the building. She was eager to see Jane and to apologize. She had already prepared what she would say to him, how she would tell him. Oh, she knew they would not end up kissing passionately, her words this morning had hurt him. But she hoped her honesty would be enough and that he would see in her eyes how much she loved him.

When she arrived at her floor, she tried to find Jane and saw him on the other side of the room, along with agent Fischer. Unwittingly, she felt a pang of jealousy. There was nothing between these two, she knew it, but to see them always together, working on the field as she was left at the office was hard to swallow. They seemed busy, she would talk to him later. Then she sat down at her desk and turned on her computer.

Minutes passed, then an hour. Lisbon didn't see Jane returning or Fischer and was about to go looking for them when she saw Abbott in his office beckoning her to come. Maybe he would give her a case, she could finally go to the field. She had waited for this moment for so long. A smile appeared on her face. She went into the office, shut the door and sat on the chair in front of her boss.

- "Agent Lisbon, I asked you to come to inform you that Jane and agent Fischer will be away for a few days, maybe a week," he explained. "Our office has been called to a case in New York."

- "What kind of case?" Lisbon asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

- "I can not tell you about it Agent Lisbon, sorry. But know that Jane is in good hands and he knows he should stay in line." Replied Abbott. "During their absence, you'll team up with agent Cho and you will be in charge of the team."

- "Thank you sir," although the idea of a team leader again was exciting, not having Jane would be different.

- "You may go."

Lisbon got up and left the office. Jane had left and she didn't have the chance to talk to him before. He had left thinking that she didn't want him, something she had said to him and regretted now. So, when he would come back, would he have changed his mind, would he still want her? Who could she blame except herself and her fears? Perhaps a week away from each other would help. She would have time to think about the situation and that would leave her time to talk to Marcus.

She pulled out her phone to see if Jane had sent her a text or anything. But nothing. He was still angry with her and she understood it. Otherwise he would have left her a text informing her that he was going away. He had promised never to leave her in doubt. So she sent him a text wishing him luck and told him that when he would come back, they would have to talk.

She then moved to her desk and was about to read her email when she saw another envelope underneath her keyboard, like the one she had found this morning. She looked around, curious to know if the person who had left the envelope was still there. But she saw no one other than her colleagues. She turned her attention to the envelope, opened it and pulled out a letter. It said more or less the same than the one from this morning. And like that one, she tucked it into her bag.

She didn't know who had written the letters, but she felt that all of this was not good. If she kept receiving them, she would have to tell someone. Not knowing who had written them was pretty scary. She knew, from the contents of the two letters, that that person didn't want her any good. But at what point that person did want to harm her? She would see it tomorrow. If she'd received an other letter, then she would speak to Cho. Meanwhile, she was eager for Jane's return, to talk to him, and maybe have the chance to finally be happy with him.

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><p><span><strong>TBC ...<strong>

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><p><span><strong>AN2****: So, what do you think? Do you want more? I will update as often as I can.**

_Sweety_


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:**** I said that I would update often, but I don't have internet anymore at home. Thank you for the reviews. I hope you will like this new chapter.**

_Sweety_

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><p><em>After a fight with Lisbon, Jane is send away on a case. It is then that someone from their past comes back to haunt them, starting with Lisbon. Will they find out who it is before something bad happen? <em>

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><p><span><strong>Shadow from the past<strong>

**Chapter 1**

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><p>It had been a long and difficult day. No new case, but Jane's absence had not been easy for Lisbon. She kept thinking of the night she had spent in the arms of her best friend, the happiness she had felt while he made love to her for the first time. Perhaps the last. Because of her and her fears. She had been waiting for this moment for years, had been<p>

dreaming of it too. And when she finally realized her mistake, it was too late. Jane was gone, certainly angry and hurt. She could not do anything, couldn't say anything until his return.

She had tried to contact him several times during the day, but each and every call ended on voicemail. Or he might be too busy with this new case that had forced him to go to New York. The mere idea of him being so far away from her after what she told him this morning was hard. But it must be worse for him. It certainly must have been hard for him to take this step toward her, declaring his love, even without words.

She knew Jane long enough to know that he was not comfortable with his feelings. Since the death of his wife, he had refused to get close to anyone, for fear of suffering later. She understood that. It was not easy for her either after the death of her mother and her father's abandonment. She always was afraid to get attached to anyone for the same reasons as Jane. Yet her heart was beating for this man despite all the evil he had done unwittingly. And when at last he had taken the risk, she had rejected him.

So to forget all of this, she began to read the notes of the various cases she had worked on since she had joined the FBI. Why? Just to keep her mind busy. But it did not really work. At noon, Marcus came, offering her to go eat something. Although she decided to end their relationship, she didn't have the courage to do so just now. If Jane could not forgive her, she would be alone. And although it was not fair to Marcus, she knew he wanted her. After all these years of celibacy, she didn't want to be alone.

Marcus was a good man, attentive. She would have a good life with him, for want of the one she dreamed of. She might be able to love him like he loved her. It would take time, but she knew she could. At least, she hoped so. It was her last chance to be happy, even if it wasn't with Jane.

They had lunch together, but Lisbon had felt sick throughout the meal. Sleeping with Jane and then letting Marcus take her hand and kiss her on the cheek was all wrong and unfair. But she didn't have the heart to tell him about it today, not while she had no news from Jane yet. She wanted to talk to him before doing anything that could change her life forever.

The rest of the day hadn't been any better and she had waited anxiously to be able to go home and lock herself in her room. She didn't want to see anybody tonight, or talk to anyone. Except to Jane. She wanted to know how much he blamed her, she wanted to explain her reasons, her fears. She wanted him to understand and to forgive her. She wanted him to give her a second chance, even if she didn't deserve it.

She was now alone in her room and she didn't know what to think. She took out the box containing Jane's letters and read them one after another. She savored Jane's sweet words from when he was alone at the other end of the world, so far away from her. What would she have given to be able to join him, to hug him, to tell him how much she loved him. But he had never given her the chance, never told her where he was, not wanting to cause her any problems.

Lisbon rested the last letter on the bed next to her and closed her eyes. She remembered Jane's look the night before, the gentleness with which he had caressed her body, as if he had been discovering an unknown land. The tenderness of his every move, the love he had shown her through his lips and fingers. She had returned his love with so much tenderness and sweetness, too happy to finally have the right to do so.

Suddenly she was roused from her memories by a ring-tone. She turned to see that her phone was ringing on the nightstand. Annoyed, she grabbed it with the intention of yelling at anyone who dared to disturb her tonight, but stopped. Jane, the call was from Jane and she felt her heart beat faster. Jane was calling her. But fear over took her. Was he calling her to let her know how much she had hurt him? She couldn't blame him, she deserved it. Or was he calling to simply talk to her, as they had done throughout the years? There was only one way to find out.

With trembling hands, Lisbon answered the call.

- "Jane," she whispered, her voice trembling.

- "Lisbon, what's wrong?" immediately worried Jane. "Did something happen?"

- "No, everything is okay," she immediately reassured him, happy for his concern for her. "It's just ... I thought you would not want to talk to me after ..."

- "What you told me this morning," he finished for her. "Believe me, I've thought about it."

Lisbon felt her heart sink at that. She could hear the pain in his voice, pain she had put there.

- "I've had time to reflect on the plane," replied Jane. "And I understand you. I made you suffer for years and I understand that you may doubt me, especially now that you're happy. I wanted to apologize for last night and promise you that I will never do anything like this ever again." Lisbon's heart shattered into small pieces. She had what she had asked for. "I just want to know if ... If we can still be friends. You're too important to me to let this mistake break our friendship."

"I ..." Lisbon hesitated, not able to answer.

"I am begging you, Lisbon," he pleaded. "You're all I have left."

- "You're my best friend Jane, I could never do without your friendship," she finally said. "But I ..."

- "You want some time."

For someone who bragged to be able to read her like a book, he seemed unable to understand what she really wanted. How could he if she herself had not managed to understand it before this morning?.

- "I'm sorry Jane," she apologized. "For what I said this morning, I was not thinking clearly."

- "You ... What do you mean?" She could hear a hint of hope in his voice.

- "I mean, I didn't mean what I said," she explained. "Our night together wasn't a mistake. The mistake was waiting for so long, more specifically pushing you away after you let me in into your heart."

She heard Jane take a deep breath. The silence that followed was deafening. She waited for Jane to speak to her, to blame her for her behavior or decide to give her another chance.

- "And for Pike?" Jane dared to ask.

- "I'm going to end our relationship," she replied. "I can not stay with a man while my heart belongs to another. My heart beats for you, Jane, it has for years." He didn't answer. "Please Jane, say something, anything. Even if it's to say no."

- "I love you Teresa," was all he said and Lisbon thought her heart would come out of her chest out of happiness. "I'll let you sleep now, but I'll call you tomorrow night."

- "Okay," she would have wanted to tell him she loved him, but the words were stuck in her throat. "Jane I ..."

- "Don't say anything yet," he stopped her. "When I come back, we'll talk. I'll take you out to dinner. And if you still want to tell me, then I'll let you do it."

- "So I wish you a good night," she smiled at the phone, knowing he could well imagine her smile. "I can't wait for you to come back."

- " Sleep well Teresa," he whispered before hanging up.

Lisbon dropped against the pillow, the phone against her heart. Jane loved her, he didn't blame her anymore and had given her a second chance. He had given them a chance to build something together, to have the life they had always wanted together. She must be the luckiest woman in the world to be loved by a man like him and she would spend the rest of her life making him happy.

The woman went to take a shower smiling, before falling asleep in her bed, surrounded by Jane's letters.

**- oooo -**

In a hotel room in a city thousands of miles away, Patrick Jane had the same silly grin on his face. This morning, when he had left, he was more depressed than ever. The case was dropped at the right time. After Lisbon's hurtful words, leaving had seemed like the only solution to him. He could not imagine living without her, but he had needed to get away from her, to think about all this, what this night with Lisbon would change in their working relationship.

When he had come back from exile, he had thought he could finally move forward with his life with Lisbon. There were no more threats, no more risks. He could finally be happy. He had come back for her, to see her every day, make her happy. He had prepared everything in his head. First, he would apologize and try to make amends. Then he would invite her as he had done before, after a long day of work. Then he would declare his feelings for her, hoping she would return them.

But once in front of her, he didn't have the courage. Why? He loved Lisbon with all his heart and had for many years. He knew she loved him, she had never been able to hide it from him. But she had built a new life in his absence, she had moved on. She seemed so happy that he didn't want to tarnish this happiness. So he did nothing, said nothing. And that was his mistake. For, without a move on his part, she really did move on.

She had started dating this Marcus Pike, that stupid FBI agent. Okay, not that stupid since he was an FBI agent and had not been afraid to ask her out. It was so painful to see her smiling at the man, to see him take her hand, kiss her cheek. But seeing the smile on Lisbon's face was enough for him, or so he thought.

When he went to see her the night before, he had not expected for them to spend the night together. He just wanted to see her, spend some time with her, as they had so often done when they worked together at CBI. When she had asked him to stay for the night, he knew it was not a good idea. But knowing that she was in the next room on the other side of the wall was a chance he could not pass on. If she was to build a life with Pike, he had to enjoy all the little moments that he could have.

Only his feelings for her were so strong that when she had kissed his cheek, he hadn't been able to hold back. He had, however, let her the choice to move away, to stop before crossing that invisible line they had established years earlier. The look she had given him had been so intense, so full of love that he had not hesitated.

He had loved her all night, discovering that beautiful body that fit his perfectly. Admiring the passionate woman that was Teresa Lisbon when she set her feelings free. Falling asleep in her arms had been wonderful. Waking up next to her naked body had been even better. But her reaction had made it clear that he would never have the opportunity to love her again as he did the night before. He could not blame her, after all he had done to her in the past.

He then went to the office, early, for the biggest surprise of Fischer. And when Abbott had assigned them to the case, he didn't hesitate. Getting away from Lisbon, even a week, could do him good. He needed to think, to find a way to stay in her life.

The case he was consulting on was hard, more than ever. Babies trafficking, not less. It was the stuff that made him mad. How could you do that, steal babies for resale, such as merchandise?. He knew that people were willing to pay big bucks to have a child. But there was much more legal and less painful ways. It was so hard for the parents of these little defenseless babies.

When he arrived in his hotel room after having fully read the reports on various suspects, he thought his heart would break. He was in dire need of something to make him smile. Only Lisbon could. Even after her difficult words this morning, hearing her voice was all he needed. It was also an opportunity to inform her of his decision. If he could not be her lover, he could at least be her friend and he would be content with that.

He had not expected Lisbon to apologize and tell him what he wanted to hear. She wanted a relationship with him, she wanted the same thing as him. He couldn't resist. Her pleading voice had pained him so much. He didn't like when she was sad and tonight she really was. She blamed herself so much for hurting him this morning. He didn't want to cause her any more hurt, even if he had every right after what she had said.

He couldn't. He loved her too much to make it worse. They have to talk when he would come back. He was eager to go home, to see her, to hug her and kiss her. Their night together had been wonderful, even more beautiful than he had thought possible. Although he had imagined things differently. He had always imagined he would take her to dinner, they would spend a good evening and that things would come naturally. He couldn't change the past, but he still had power over the future. He would give her that perfect evening.

But before that, he had to solve this case, found who abducted these poor babies and to whom they sold them. He had to find these babies, bring them back to their families. He couldn't stand the idea that someone would come after innocent children. The abductions had begun six months earlier, one baby every two weeks. But last month, there had been one a week.

Fischer and he had visited three families. Each time, he had forced himself not to cry at the sight of the parents who mourned the loss of their child. He understood them, he himself had lost his daughter. But unlike him, these people still had a chance to have their child back. He would do anything to bring them back together. A child should never be separated from their parents, at least not loving parents.

Jane fell back against the pillow. He really had too much on his mind, he needed to sleep. He should focus on the case. He would think of Lisbon tomorrow night when he would call her. But it was essential to focus on these babies.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

**- oooo -**

In the morning, Lisbon awoke with a light heart. Her phone conversation with Jane the night before had done her good. There was no misunderstanding with them, even if they still have to talk. All was not settled, but would be soon. She knew she had to apologize face to face, she would be more honest. She had to explain everything to him, even though she suspected he already knew. After all, he knew her better than anyone, better than she knew herself.

The agent got up and went down immediately to make a coffee. Without her black drink she would be good for nothing. She could already hear Jane tell her how bad coffee was for her, that tea was much better. She imagined her words to him, that she would not drink that thing, even though she secretly liked it. It was because of him. He had said so many times how tea was good that she had finally given in to temptation. This had helped her a lot during these two years of separation, as if it had helped her be closer to Jane.

Once downstairs, her eyes caught something by the front door. Another envelope. She grabbed the weapon she always hid in her desk drawer next to the couch and walked towards the door. With infinite carefulness, she opened it, looked outside and was not surprised to find no one there. So she shut the door and leaned over to grab the envelope. Like the previous two, there was no name on it. She had no idea who could be behind this, but she would eventually find out.

She put the envelope in the drawer of her desk, with her gun and walked toward the kitchen. However, she felt as if someone was watching her and it scared her. She knew she should talk to someone, she couldn't keep it for her. As a cop, she knew very well what could happen in such situation. But she didn't want to get noticed in the office, not when she was just beginning to feel at eased and respected.

She poured herself a cup of coffee. The sweet smell invaded her nostrils, calming her a little. That's when her phone rang. She put the cup on the counter and went to answer, curious to know who could call that early in the morning.

- "Lisbon," she said, picking up.

No one answered. The only thing she heard was a breath, then a snicker. It made her shudder.

- "Who is calling?" She asked, trying hard not to let them know about the fear she felt rising in her.

She heard a click and then nothing. She stood for a moment the handset in hand, unable to move. She was trembling, without really knowing why. She was a damn cop, a simple call and some letters could not scare her, should not scare her. She refused to become a victim, she was not one. She was a cop, she was strong and courageous. At least that is what Jane had been telling her so often for years.

She put the phone back in place and went to her room getting a bag ready, forgetting her coffee on the kitchen counter. If this fool knew where she lived, she was going to leave her home, just a few days. She would not take unnecessary risks. She would be safer in a hotel room until she finds out who was trying to scare her.

Lisbon washed and dressed quickly. She then prepared a bag for a few days. She didn't want to go too long, but she didn't know how long this would last. She felt a sudden desire to see Jane and hug him. He would not be of great help in case of danger, but he would reassure her. He always knew how to find the words and gestures. She was tempted to call him, to hear his voice. But she didn't want to worry her.

She grabbed her purse, jacket and hurried down the stairs. Before leaving, she took one last look at her house. She always felt safe in her home. But now she didn't feel it anymore. It was a strange feeling and she couldn't explain it. How come some letters and a phone call could change things so much? She didn't know.

She took a deep breath and closed the door behind her.

**- oooo -**

Agent Abbott sat behind his desk, staring at agent Lisbon. He had an admiration for this woman. She had worked with Patrick Jane for twelve years and despite all he had done to her, she still agreed to come and work with him here in Austin, leaving her life behind. Their friendship had to be really strong for her to choose him over the life she had built after the CBI was closed.

He still remembered the first time he met her. A strong courageous woman who worked very hard and was willing to do anything for those who mattered to her. Like Patrick Jane. She lost everything she had, without regrets. Jane had killed a man, and yet she had protected him until the end. He had tried to change her mind, to make her understand that defending Jane could cost her a lot. But she had remained faithful. He had great admiration for this woman.

So today he was observing her. Something was off, she seemed tense, worried. The day before too, but he had put it down on Jane suddenly leaving. If he were honest, he regretted it a little. He was well aware of the commitment that existed between the CBI former consultant and his colleague. Although she'd been seeing agent Pike for several weeks, he could see that she was still a little worried about Jane. So when the call arrived, he had been a little hesitant. Jane was the best and the case was difficult. He knew he would find a way to solve it quickly and bring a little happiness to these families.

But when he saw the dark circles under agent Lisbon's eyes, the tension radiating from her body and her worried look, he wondered if he had made the right choice. He had other agents perfectly capable of working on the case. But none would work as good as Jane, whole heartedly. With his methods, which he didn't really like, he would reach his goals. That's why he had chosen him over another. He regretted to have sent Fischer with him instead of Lisbon.

The two women were good at what they did. But Lisbon had known Jane too well for too long. Fischer was still learning to know him, to understand him. He wanted the two of them to know each other better, which would make things easier when Lisbon would leave. It was possible, she wouldn't stay here forever. He wanted to be ready when the day would come.

Abbott saw Lisbon take something on her desk, an envelope, and tense immediately. He wondered for a moment what it could be. He might talk to her later about it. He saw her store the envelope in her bag without opening it, as if she knew what was inside. This intrigued him a bit more. However he didn't have the time to wonder more about it as his phone rang. He listened to the speaker, took some notes and hung up. A new case. He was going to judge the effectiveness of Agent Lisbon without Patrick Jane at her side.

The man stood up, walked to his office's door but remained at the threshold. He motioned to Lisbon and Cho to join him, which they did immediately. They sat facing their boss and waited.

- "We have a new case," he began. "A woman was found dead on the side of the highway, Amanda Cameron, thirty six years old. She was the official girlfriend of Stuart Riley, best known as the Doberman."

- "The weapons dealer?" Lisbon asked, wanting to make sure that she remembered well the names of the various criminals under FBI investigation.

- "That's him," confirmed Abbott. "We'd been investigating him for about a year and so far we have nothing that would help us catch him. He's too smart. His girlfriend came to see us six weeks ago. She wanted to talk, to testify against him after she witnessed the murder of a young boy who couldn't pay. The Doberman is heartless. If you deal with him and you don't have money, you are dead, so you can not reveal his identity. "

- "Yet we know who he is," Cho clarified.

- "A witness found a way to tell us about him, but he died," explained Abbott. "Find a way to catch him for the murder of his girlfriend, I'm sure he is guilty. I don't want him to get away this time."

- "Yes sir," replied Cho and Lisbon in unison before leaving the office.

Both agents gathered around Wiley's desk. That young man was an expert with computers. He was not Van Pelt, no one could match her, but he was good.

Abbott observed them talk, ask for information. He could see that they were not comfortable with each other yet. But he was certain they would succeed. In front of him was a good team, Cho and Lisbon had known each other for over twelve years now. And the young man got along pretty well with Cho.

But what Abbott observed the most was Lisbon. He could see the tension gradually leave her body and be replaced by professionalism. He didn't know what was going on in her life right now and he really hoped it would not prevent her from doing her job properly.

**- oooo -**

After hours of research, a visit to the morgue to see the medical examiner and what he could tell them, Cho and Lisbon were exhausted. They had had a long and hard day. Thank heaven, they could finally go home, or to the hotel in Lisbon's case. She still wasn't comfortable with the idea of to leave her home, but the new letter she had found on her desk in the evening had made her understand that it was serious.

Arriving in her hotel room, Lisbon dropped her bag on the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. She was tired and only wanted one thing: a shower, or rather a bath to help her relax. Before going to the bathroom, she called home to check her voicemail. She had four messages. She listened to them all. They all were the same: heavy breathing that send her chilling. She hung up, she didn't want to hear more.

As soon as she hung up, her phone rang and she jumped. She relaxed seeing Jane's name appear. She picked it up without hesitation, so happy that he has not forgotten to call her as he had promised.

- "Jane," she exclaimed a bit too quickly.

- "Is there a problem, Lisbon?" Jane immediately worried.

Lisbon didn't answer right away. Could she tell him about the letters and the phone calls? Could she worry him while he was on a difficult case? No, she couldn't do that. So she opted for a simple answer.

- "No, just tired and happy to hear you. How was your day.?"

- "Tiring, physically and emotionally," Jane said. "But I think I finally found a lead."

- "This is good news," she said. "Have you taken the time to eat?"

- "Not yet, but I'll do it when I hung up."

- "You should do it now before going to bed," she suggested, even if she still wanted to hear the sound of his voice.

- "Not yet," he said. "I needed to hear you, to think of something else. This is so hard, I don't know if I can do it."

Lisbon's heart sank. She didn't like to hear the pain in Jane's voice, didn't like to know that he wasn't fine and that she wasn't there to help him. But she could still reassure him, even over the phone.

- "You'll get there Jane, you're good at what you do," she reassured him. "You're not alone, Fischer is with you."

- "She is also affected by it."

- "It's gonna be okay Jane," she tried again. "You said you have a lead, that means this will be over soon. And when you get back, I'll be there to help you forget."

- "I could never forget," Jane whispered. "But I wouldn't mind if you tried."

She could hear a smile in his voice and she smiled too. She could almost forget about her current problems.

- "But what about you, something interesting?" Jane inquired, as if he felt she wasn't well.

- "A big case and I intend to solve it quickly and lock that guy up."

- "Ah, my Lisbon is back."

She blushed. _His_ Lisbon, she loved the sound of it. They talked for over an hour about everything and nothing, remembering some of Jane's schemes that didn't always work as planned. They laughed a lot. When Lisbon tried to hide a yawn, Jane decided it was time to hang up.

- "You should sleep Teresa," he said. "You're tired."

- "I don't want to hang up," she muttered.

- "Me neither," Jane admitted. "But you don't want me to be tired tomorrow. So you're going to hang up this phone, take a shower and go to sleep. Tomorrow night I will call you again, and every night until I come back."

- "You promise?" She asked in a small voice.

- "I promise you Teresa."

Lisbon felt a lump in her throat. She couldn't stand to be kept away from Jane, she couldn't bear not to see him every day at work. She needed him more than she had imagined. Only two days and she already felt the weight of his absence.

- "Good night, Teresa," said Jane.

- "Goodnight Patrick," Lisbon whispered before hanging up.

Talking with Jane had done her good. She had almost forgotten the case during those few minutes, and the threats she received for the past two days. It was quite strange as she got the first letter after Jane had left, as if the person who sent them had waited for him to leave. But this was not possible, no one would have expected that Jane would be sent to New York. She knew it, but she could not help but wonder if all of this wasn't a setup.

If that were the case, it meant that someone was after them, or at least after her because Jane didn't seem to have received any letter. Or, like her, he had preferred to keep it to himself. She should tell him, about the letters and the calls. She might worry him, which she'd rather avoid. But she needed to know that he was fine. She should also talk to Cho and the Rigsbys.

Maybe someone from their past was back, like a few months earlier, and was about to come after them. She didn't know. Maybe it had nothing to do with the others, maybe she was the only target. But she didn't want to risk losing a loved one because she hadn't worried enough. It was up to her to protect them.

Lisbon got out of bed and decided that a shower would be better than a bath, much faster too. Jane was right, she was tired and needed to sleep. She would talk to Cho tomorrow and would call Grace. She would talk to them about the letters and the calls. Grace might help her finding out where they came from. She trusted her. Telling Abbott was out of the question. She would only do it if it became truly indispensable. Meanwhile, she would talk only to her former team.

When she slipped under the covers she instantly felt uncomfortable. She really didn't like sleeping outside her home. The sooner that problem would be resolved, the sooner she could resume to a normal life.

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><p><span><strong>TBC ...<strong>

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><p><span><strong>AN2:**** Let me know what you think of that chapter in a review, I love them. I don't know when I'll update chapter 2 as I'm going away for a week to the Canary Island and I'm not sure I will work on it. I think I will enjoy the sun, something we don't have enough in Ireland.**

**Until next time.**

_Sweety_


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N****: hey guys, I am back with a new chapter. I'm not sure you really like that story but I'll update it til the end for those who do. I would like to thank **_Lupin111, Aania71 _**and **_Azucar_** for the reviews. **

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><p><em>After a fight with Lisbon, Jane is send away on a case. It is then that someone from their past comes back to haunt them, starting with Lisbon. Will they find out who it is before something bad happen? <em>

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><p><span><strong>Shadow from the past<strong>

**Chapter 2**

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><p>Agent Cho arrived first at the office, to his amazement. Since the day he had started to work with Lisbon, she had always been the first to arrive. He knew her reasons: as a team leader, she had to set an example for her subordinates. She was all the more respected for that.<p>

But today, or rather two days ago, she arrived after him. There was nothing abnormal about that, she simply took more time to get ready. He noticed that she was taking much more care of herself. Lisbon was a beautiful woman, he knew it. After all, he was a man. He liked to see her show her feminity.

So he settled at his desk, turned on his computer and got to work. This new case was not easy. A woman had been found dead, they had to find who murdered her. Of course, they already had an idea, but now they had to prove it. This man, Stuart Riley, was a dangerous man. He was also well protected. Until now, nobody had been able to prove him guilty of anything whatsoever. And Cho had every intention of changing that.

A few minutes later, he heard the characteristic approach of Lisbon and he looked up to see his colleague arrived, a cup of coffee in her hand. He smiled a little. If there was one thing Teresa Lisbon couldn't forget, it was coffee. She could drink gallons of it and often Jane criticized her about that bad habit. He couldn't say anything about it, he'd been drinking himself too much coffee for far too long.

The woman sat at her desk after giving him a nod. She turned on her computer and went to work immediately. Cho watched her carefully. She had dark circles under her eyes, she was not sleeping enough. He wondered what could worry her to the point of being unable to sleep. He knew that Jane's absence played a lot in this situation. However, since she started dating Pike, she spent much less time with Jane. She was used to no longer work directly with him, or at least that was what he thought. He must have been wrong. He saw her grab an envelop she quickly put away in a drawer.

- "Is everything all right Lisbon?" He inquired.

- "Everything is fine Cho, thank you," she answered and went back to her work.

He didn't push the issue. He settled at his desk, reading every report on Stuart Riley. There were so many. Accusations, suspicions, but nothing tangible. He wanted to find something, anything that could help them.

Lisbon, for her part, carefully studied the autopsy report of the young Amanda Cameron. The poor woman had been beaten to death. She had self defense marks on her arms and forearms. Lisbon pushed her inquiries farther and noticed a small detail on one of the pictures. Amanda's face, there was something that caught Lisbon's eye. Since she had all of the photos in her computer, she opened and enlarged them to see what it was.

- "Cho come see this," she called her colleague who stood up and came behind her. "In this picture, do you see the same thing I do?"

- "Scratches just behind the left ear," remarked Cho.

- "If the coroner is able to get out some of the DNA, we might be able to connect this murder to Riley and so we can get him here for questioning. We have nothing at the moment but we can still go to see him to talk about Amanda Cameron. "

- "It's not much but still more than what our colleagues have managed to do so far," agreed Cho.

- "Okay, call the lab and asked them to do DNA research on the scratch then we will set up a file and we'll go see Riley."

- "All right Bo ... Lisbon."

Lisbon looked up at her colleague and hardly hid a smile. It had been a long time since Cho had called her boss and she missed it. She missed being a team leader and until then she hadn't wanted to admit it, even to herself. But things had changed and she couldn't deny it anymore. She watched her colleague get to work while she gathered everything she would need.

It was at that moment she saw Marcus coming. She suddenly felt uncomfortable. She had to talk to him, she had promised Jane and herself. She couldn't continue her relationship with him, her heart belonged to another man. She had a good time with Marcus, but he would never be Jane. She absolutely had to tell him, as quickly as possible.

She got up and walked toward the man who smiled at the sight of her. She smiled back, but it didn't reach her eyes. It was not going to be easy, but she had to do it. Marcus liked her very much, she liked him a lot too. Unfortunately for him, not the way she loved Jane. She stopped next to him and when he bent to kiss her on the lips, she turned her head and he kissed her cheek. He looked at her with a curious look.

- "We need to talk Marcus," she said.

- "Is there a problem Teresa?" the officer inquired, suddenly worried.

- "Not really a problem," she replied. "But we can not talk about it here. How about after work?"

- "I can't tonight, I have a big case and I think you, too," he refused politely, seeming to understand what it was. He also seemed to want to postpone their discussion. "It'll keep me busy for several days and I wanted to warn you that I would be taken until early next week. But once things are calmer, I promise we will talk."

- "I wish you luck then."

- "Thank you Teresa, have a good day."

- "Bye Marcus."

Then Pike walked away down the hall, leaving Lisbon alone. She watched him go, feeling even more uncomfortable. She realized then that he didn't want to talk and had preferred to flee rather than talking about their situation. He knew that meant that their relationship would end and he wanted to wait a little longer. She could not blame him, but that didn't mean she liked it.

Lisbon shook her head to clear her mind. She should focus on the current case, the rest could wait. She joined Cho who had just hung up from the pathologist. They gathered the files before leaving the FBI. What little they had yet would allow them to question Riley about his girlfriend. It would be enough for now. His behavior would tell them if he was guilty of the murder. For Lisbon, it was clear. But she could not rely solely on her gut.

She let Cho drive and sat on the passenger seat. She always had the habit of driving, Cho at her side. Today, the lack of sleep was too important and she didn't feel like driving. She had complete confidence in her colleague and she just closed her eyes. She felt herself starting gradually to fall sleep and could do nothing to prevent it.

_The room was dark and wet and Lisbon tightened the jacket she wore around her body. She was trembling, but more from anticipation than cold. She had received another letter in which she was told to go to a certain address, that someone was waiting for her. She was also told that if she didn't come, it could end badly._

_Her cop instincts told her to do nothing, to stay home. But her heart was screaming at her to go protect her family. To protect Jane. He was the closest person to her. Lisbon had not seen her brothers for so long. They were far from close, they never even really were. Marcus has been her boyfriend for several weeks, but then again, they were not close to the point that she was concerned for his safety._

_Lisbon walked in slowly, her gun in her hand. There was nobody in the room and she was about to leave when a groan caught her attention. She walked cautiously to the opposite wall and could see the body of a man on the ground. She knelt down and returned the body. Her heart stopped when she recognized the man._

- "**JANE**," she yelled, waking up.

Cho stopped the car on the low side. He then turned to Lisbon whose breathing was panting, her forehead covered with sweat. She was still shaking. Never before he had seen her in such a state, and this time he was not able to hide his concern. He put a hand on her arm, showing her that he was there and Lisbon turned her head towards him, staring.

- "Lisbon, are you okay?" he asked, pushing a strand of hair from her forehead. An intimate gesture that was not like him. But she needed it and she was his friend. "Tell me what's wrong."

- "Jane," she whispered. "He is dead."

- "No Lisbon, he is in New York with Fischer," said Cho. "I'll call him."

He was about to get his phone out of his pocket but Lisbon stopped him.

- "It's okay Cho, I just need to get some air."

She got out of the car, took a few steps and ran a hand over her face. She could still see the bloody face of Jane, his mutilated body. Her heart was pounding, her hands still shaking. Adrenaline. Jane was fine, she knew it. These letters made her crazy, she had to find a solution quickly. She still didn't know who sent her those letters and the one she found on her desk this morning let her believe it was someone working there.

Cho joined her quickly but remained at a distance. He knew that Lisbon needed a moment to compose herself. Something was wrong and he was convinced that it was related to the letter she had stored in her desk this morning. If it impacted her work, he needed to know. If she needed help, he would be there to help her. He just needed her to talk to him. He could not force anything.

- "I need help Cho," she said suddenly, turning to him. "I really need help and I don't know who to turn to."

- "Tell me what's wrong," he said simply.

- "I ... I've been getting letters for days. I don't know who sent them. At home, at the office. I also received anonymous calls. All of this scares me..."

- "You have kept those letters?"

- "All of them," she asserted.

- "Would it prevent you to do your job?" he wanted to know.

- "No." Lisbon knew this question was legitimate. "I can do my job and I apologize for not speaking to you before." She paused for a moment before continuing. "The fact of talking helped me a lot. Thank you Cho."

The officer nodded, then, they returned to the car. They had a job to do, a victim who needed justice. They had to question one of the most powerful criminals in the state of Texas. They knew it would not be easy, but they would do it.

Now that she had spoken, Lisbon felt lighter. She should have done it much earlier, it would have done her good. It was done now and she knew that Cho would support and help her. She would call Van Pelt tonight and talk to her too. The young woman could possibly trace the calls and tell her what state they were from. As for Jane, she hesitated. Could she worry him now while working on a difficult case? She didn't want to.

So she took the decision not to tell him, at least not now. There was no need to worry him as she knew nothing about the person who was harassing her. She would talk to him later, if it was really necessary. She preferred to protect him. He had worried enough over her for years. He was free of the shadow of Red John now and she didn't want to dive him into all that now.

She drove it all from her mind when they arrived at Stuart Riley's house. The house was big enough for all the homeless in the city of Austin. The man was rich and didn't hide it. Security was also very good. They were asked to identify themselves and the purpose of their visit. They had to submit themselves to a full search before they were allowed to come in and Lisbon felt uncomfortable when the guard ran his hands over her body and tried to remove her weapon. She stopped him and he would have hit her had he not been stopped by a loud voice.

- "This isn't how a woman should be treated Johnny," sounded the voice of Riley. He let his eyes explore Lisbon from head to toe. "You are the agents handling the case of the murder of my sweet Amanda isn't it? Come with me."

The man invited them to follow him. He passed by them and Cho remained close to Lisbon. He didn't like the look he had for his colleague and preferred to keep an eye on her. Although this was not the kind of thing she really liked, Lisbon appreciated the initiative. She also didn't like how Riley looked at her, it made her even more uncomfortable than the hands of his security guard on her.

They followed him down a corridor and went in a large room richly decorated. He sat on a large black leather couch and the two agents moved on the opposite couch. A woman entered the room, coffee in hand. She laid it on the coffee table between the sofas, and then left the room. Riley looked at the agent, especially Lisbon.

- "Do you have any leads regarding the murder of Amanda?" he asked.

- "We have nothing at the moment," said Lisbon. "But we have some questions for you. Routine questions, so don't feel offended."

- "Go ahead."

- "Where were you the night of the murder?" she asked.

- "I was here alone," the man replied. "Amanda wanted to go out with friends and I preferred to let her go alone. I stayed here and sent the staff home. I wanted some peace and quiet myself."

- "No one can vouch for you," she said.

-. "No one and I regret not going out with Amanda. She was a friendly girl, sweet, kind. I had met her at a bad time in her life and I did my best to help her. "

He was lying, it was obvious. He was indeed guilty of Amanda's murder, but how to prove it. How could she make him talk, do self-incrimination.

- "Do you know her enemies?" Lisbon resumed.

- "No, everyone loved Amanda," he certified.

- "Did you have marital problems?" Cho inquired.

- "Like every couple, we had fights," stated Riley. "But nothing that couldn't be resolved quickly."

- "You have been accused of dealing weapons M. Riley," replied Lisbon. "What can you tell us about it?"

- "Nothing you don't already know. I was unjustly accused and found innocent."

- "What did Amanda think about it?"

- "She thought nothing of it. She had nothing to do with it."

Riley's eyes became harder, cold. His tone was suddenly colder.

- "She lived with you," Lisbon continued nonetheless, eliciting even more glares from Riley. "She certainly knew about your business. A woman who loves a man always has an interest in what he does, what matters to him."

- "Amanda didn't care about my business, no woman should care about men's business," he said. "I think this interview is over, I have work to do."

He stood up, the agents did the same and they walked toward the door. But before they left, Riley grabbed Lisbon's arm and forced her to face him. Their eyes met and they settled for a while. Lisbon felt hatred and a hint of desire in his eyes.

- "You are a wonderful woman Agent Lisbon," he said in a soft voice. "But do not provoke me if you don't want something to happen to you."

- "Is that a threat Mr. Riley?" Lisbon inquired. She raised a hand in the direction of her colleague who was about to intervene.

- "Not at all, just a hint." He slid his fingers along her arm, captured her hand, and raised it to his lips to kiss her roughly. "I don't like for a woman to tell me what to do, it always ends badly for her."

- "That is what happened to Amanda?" Lisbon asked removing her hand from the grip of the man. "She focused a little too close on your business, found out what you were doing and you had her killed."

Riley took a step forward, but Cho was faster than him and intervened, putting a hand against the man's chest and pushed him away. Riley then tried to hit the officer, but again, Cho was faster. He dodged Riley's fist, grabbed his arm and pinned him against the wall.

- "M. Riley, you're under arrest for assaulting a federal agent," he said, handcuffing him.

His men didn't try to intervene, they knew when it was better to stay away. While the officers were taking Riley, he turned to his men.

- "Call my lawyer," he ordered. "I will be out before the end of the day."

He was right. His lawyer would take him out before the end of the day, like every time he had been arrested. He must be connected to powerful people, which allowed him to get out every time. Lisbon would not let him get away with it, she would do everything possible to make him pay for everything he had done. The attack was caused deliberately. In reading his file, she knew he didn't like women of power and the fact that she was the officer in charge would make him mad. She only had to find the right words for him to explode and that was what she did.

Now she had to find as much evidence of his involvement in the murder of Amanda Cameron as she could, in order to keep him locked up. She was going to find it, with the help of Cho and Wiley. Together, she would lock up the most dangerous man in the state of Texas. They were a good team, she had no doubt that they would succeed in delivering justice.

**- oooo -**

Lisbon was tossing and turning in bed, unable to find sleep. Her dreams were haunted by images of Jane. He was dead in each of them. After several hours, she decided it was useless to try to sleep. But now that she wasn't able to sleep, she couldn't sit still in bed. She had to keep her mind busy. So she got up and moved to the desk where she had placed her laptop. Since she couldn't sleep, she would work on the ongoing investigation.

After the arrest of Stuart Riley during the day, she thought she had earned a little time. Of course, the lawyer of the man had managed to get him out in less time than it took to tell. So he was back home. Lisbon had to quickly find a track against him. The DNA results hadn't arrived yet and as long as she didn't have them, she couldn't do much.

This case reminded her of another one she had worked on years earlier when she was still working for the CBI. Tommy Volker. The man who thought he was above the law, the man who killed without impunity. No one was able to catch him for all his crimes, until she was given the case. With the help of Jane, she had managed to do it. And that would be the case for Stuart Riley.

The phone in the room rang and startled Lisbon. She had given this number to no one, so she wondered who could be calling, especially in the middle of the night. Maybe it was the receptionist. But why? Curious, she picked it up.

- "Hi Teresa," whispered a voice that made her shudder. She didn't answer, incapable of the slightest word. "Well, did you not miss me?"

Lisbon still couldn't manage to utter a word. She couldn't believe he was at the other end. Was he not in jail? If that were the case, he wouldn't have been able to call at this late hour. It was about three o'clock in the morning, so it had to be five in Sacramento. No prisoner was allowed to call so early in the morning. Worse yet, how did he find her? How did he know she was in Austin, and here specifically?

She felt cold sweat on her back when she realized something. The letters, the anonymous calls. It all came from him. The threat was very real, and much more serious than she had thought at first. He was after her since his arrest. She was the only one capable of such a thing, thanks to her rage and determination. He had vowed revenge and now he was carrying out his plan. She was in far greater danger than she thought.

- "Teresa, I'm disappointed," he replied. "I thought you'd be pleased to hear me. It's been so long."

- "What do you want Volker?" She asked in a voice she tried hard to devoid of tremors.

- "Just get news, Teresa," he said in a honeyed voice. "How long hast it been now, three years?"

- "Not long enough," she hissed. "I'll ask again, what do you want?"

- "Did you get my letters?" he inquired. "I had fun writing them and I hope you've enjoyed them."

- "I got them and I want it to stop."

- "Oh, but I love so much writing to you my dear. I've heard that the CBI had closed, what a shame." He said in a voice that was anything but sad. "But you have found a better job I heard. FBI agent, I'm impressed."

Lisbon's heart was pounding, her hands were shaking. For the first time in many years, she was scared, really scared. If Tommy Volker was really free, for whatever reason, she was really in danger. The only thing she wished was that no other member of her former team was in danger. She could not bear it if something happened to them. They were her family.

- "I know you have a lot of questions Teresa," he replied after a few minutes of silence. "And I assure you, I have not contacted any member of your former team, not even dear Patrick Jane. I know he came back and I know he has done it for you."

- "Let Jane alone," Lisbon felt anger rising in her at the idea that he could go after Jane. "You want revenge against me, not him."

- "Oh, but I would not do anything to him," he assured. "Until you tell them anything, they will be safe."

- "What do you mean?"

- "I won't do anything to them, for now. All that should remain between us Teresa, you and I. If I ever hear that they are aware of anything, I couldn't guarantee you their safety..."

The silence was complete during a few seconds. During her time at the police academy, Lisbon had learned that one should never negotiate with criminals. She had always tried to follow that rule. But now she had no choice. Lives were at stake, the lives of people dear to her heart. If she spoke to them, Volker could go after them. She could not take that risk. They had spent years with the threat of a serial killer in their lives. He was dead now, they were free. She could not impose that on them again, not now that they finally had a life. Unfortunately, Cho knew something was wrong. She told him, it was too late to change that.

Volker didn't seem to know yet and it was good. She hoped it would remain so. Cho could protect himself, she had complete confidence in him. According to Volker, he hadn't contacted anyone from her former team, which meant they were safe for now. Then she made her decision.

- "Okay, that will be between you and me," she said finally. "But swear to me you won't do anything to them."

- "I promise you Teresa," Volker consented.

- "So what do you really want from me?" she asked, curious.

- "You will know soon enough Teresa. I leave you now, you must be tired and you have to solve a big case."

-" How…"

But she could not finish her sentence as he had hung up. She dropped the phone and hid her face in her hands. What situation was she in? She had a killer on the loose, of that she was certain, and he was after her. She couldn't tell anyone, she would have to handle it alone. Well, not really alone because Cho was in the secret. She would have to talk to him quickly and ask him to keep it all for himself. He would, though he would argue about it.

She thought of Jane. He would not forgive her her silence about this. She had often reproached him to hide things about Red John, she wouldn't resent him for blaming her. She wanted to protect him, as he had done for her all these years. She had to get out of this mess quickly, but how?

At that moment, her cell phone rang and she grabbed it right away, knowing full well it was Jane. He had promised to call her and he was keeping his promise. She didn't know if she could manage to hide the truth about her current situation, but she would do her best. She picked up without looking at the name on the screen and she would regret it later.

- "Agent Lisbon, this is Agent Fischer."

Lisbon's heart sank.

- "Is Jane okay?" She asked, unable to hide her fear.

- "There was an accident," replied Fischer. "Jane is in the hospital and as you are his emergency contact, I had to call you. Moreover, he asked me to tell you he's sorry for not being able to call you tonight."

- "Is it serious?"

- "A bullet grazed his arm, but nothing serious," explained Kim. "The doctors had to give him painkillers because he couldn't bear the pain."

- "Jane really is a baby when it comes to that," laughed Lisbon. "He is going to be okay then?"

- "He's fine," replied honestly the agent.

- "I'm afraid I can not come," whispered Lisbon. "I have a big case on my hands. But I could ..."

- "No need to come Teresa. I will stay with him until he can get out tomorrow. I think then he will return to Austin, but I have to stay a little longer, I have to do my report... "

- "So you've solved the case?"

- "Thanks to Jane, yes," said Fischer. "It wasn't easy for him, I must admit. He will need your support."

The compassion in Fischer's voice brought tears to Lisbon. She still didn't know what they had worked on and Jane hid generally very well how he felt. If Fischer had seen how hard this case was on Jane, it meant that it had hit a little too close to home She blamed Abbott for sending him out there without her. But they could not always be together.

- "I will do my best to cheer him up. Call me when you have news, no matter the time of day or night." Lisbon clarified.

- "I will Teresa," Kim promised. "Try to sleep now."

- "Thank you Kim."

Lisbon hung up and dropped on the bed. Jane had taken a bullet. Well, nothing serious, but still. It could have been much worse, he could have died and she wasn't with him. She loved Jane more than anything, she couldn't bear to lose him. This again gave her more determination to solve this case. Jane needed her right now and she wouldn't let him down. She would found evidence that incriminated Stuart Riley and he would finally end up where he belonged: in jail.

She went back to work immediately, she would spend the night on it if necessary. There had to be something, he had to have made a mistake. She just needed to find it. No one could ever get away with murder. She just had to search and she would find.

**- oooo -**

In the morning, Lisbon awoke with a pain in the neck. She had fallen asleep while working and had taken a wrong position. It wasn't the first time this happened to her and certainly not the last. She stood up and gathered all the documents she had scattered on the bed then put them away in her briefcase. She rubbed her neck before quickly taking a shower. It was still early, but this morning she was to receive the results of the DNA test. She was eager to know if it was conclusive. It might be evidence of the involvement of Riley in the murder of Amanda.

When she came out of the shower, she dressed and didn't even take time to drink her coffee. She would drink one at the office, she had more important things to do. She checked her cell phone several times but Kim hadn't called yet. That could only mean that Jane was okay. So she took her things and rushed to the office.

Upon arriving, she wasn't surprised to find Cho there. He was like her, hard worker who didn't count the hours if it would stop a criminal. And this one was really dangerous. She sat next to him and together they studied everything they had on Riley. He got away with it again the day before and two agent didn't want it to happen again. She didn't even think to tell him about Volker's call the day before, or even Jane's accident.

Minute, then hours flied by, without neither of them noticing. Other officers arrived, but they paid no attention to them. It was when Wiley came to stand in front of them that Cho finally looked up.

- "What is it?" he inquired.

- "Well..." he stammered. "Agent Abbott wants to see you in his office as soon as possible."

- "Okay, we're going."

Both officers got up and went to the office of their boss who was already waiting. He motioned for them to sit down, which they did.

- "Agent Lisbon, I have a complaint against you," he began by opening a file in front of him. "M. Riley claims that you verbally abused him."

- "Sir, I haven't in any way verbally abused M. Riley," Lisbon said, trying to stay calm. "I asked him about his relationship with our victim, Amanda Cameron. It was he who got upset when I suggested that Amanda had been interested in his business."

- "I know you didn't do anything of what he said," agreed Abbott. "But I had to tell you about this complaint." He closed the folder, clasped his hands on his desk and stared at Lisbon. "Agent Lisbon, I don't doubt your word in the slightest, I trust you. I spoke with M. Riley and I seemed to understand he doesn't like powerful women. Seems that he does not like you very much and I suggest you be careful. "

- "I can perfectly well defend myself, sir," retorted Lisbon a little too roughly. "M. Riley is hiding something and I want to know what. We owe it to Amanda Cameron."

- "I agree with you agent Lisbon, but be very careful nonetheless. He's a dangerous man."

- "I'll be careful sir," Lisbon promised.

- "Agent Cho, I ask you to be careful too," he said, turning to Cho.

- "I will sir."

Abbott nodded and the two agents left the office. Lisbon tried to hold it together but it was not easy. She suspected that Riley would try something, but making a complaint against her was a bit far. Abbott believed her, which reassured her a little. But what would he do if the criminal complained again or try something else against her? This man didn't like her, which didn't bother her too much. Many criminals hated the cops investigating them. Riley was after her. Not only because she was a cop, but mostly because she was a woman.

Since she was a cop, she had often to be reminded that she was a woman, too often. Women were often abused, especially when they had a senior position, which was her case. But now, she refused to be bullied and abused by a man who certainly had killed his girlfriend. He must have heard about her meeting with the FBI and her intention to help them bring him down. He would probably try again to do something but she would not let him get away with it.

She went back to her desk to get to work, Cho following her. He said nothing, but she knew what he was thinking. Like Abbott, he was worried about her. Like Abbott, he feared that Riley would try something else. He would try to protect her, even though he knew she didn't like it. However, she wouldn't stop him. She would not admit it to anyone but the man scared her.

She was not often afraid like that. The last time was when she was found with this jacket on her back, the bomb. She had been afraid to die that night and even worse, she had feared for Jane's life. He had refused to leave, despite her various attempts to force him to leave. He had stayed to help her. She would have needed his help today. She was sure he would find a way to charge him for the murder of Amanda. Unfortunately he was not there, but in the hospital thousands of miles away from her.

- "The DNA results came back," Wiley told them as they were approaching.

- "And?" Lisbon questioned.

- "They match," the young agent answered with enthusiasm.

- "What?" Lisbon got up and snatched the file of his hands. "We have him," she said with a smile.

- "Let's go arrest him," Cho said taking his jacket.

Lisbon followed her colleague with a big smile on her face. They finally had what they were seeking and this time, Riley would not get away with it. He would soon be in jail, paying for his crime and then she could focus on Jane. He needed her, now more than ever.

She still had to take care of Volker. She didn't know what he wanted from her and that was scaring her. She feared that he would harm Jane or someone else she cared about. He had promised not to do anything to them, but she didn't trust him. He was capable of anything.

But one thing at a time. First she would focus on Riley. Then Volker. She would not let him go after her friends and family. Never.

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><p><span><strong>TBC ... <strong>

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><p><span><strong>AN2****: next chapter will be up soon. Next week end if I get some reviews.**

**Thank you for reading.**

_Sweety_


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N****: hello every one. Here I am with a new chapter. I would like to thank you for the reviews, you don't know how happy I was to read them. **

**Now, I let you read that new chapter.**

_Sweety_

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><p><span><strong>Shadow from the past<strong>

**Chapter 3**

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><p>Lisbon was fuming. Sitting on her hotel room's bed, she was trying to remain calm but it proved more difficult than usual. Riley had been arrested and had not issued any protest, which had surprised her. Now she understood why. At the hearing, his lawyer had argued with the fact that there was nothing against his client. Lisbon had smiled, knowing full well that they had evidence against him.<p>

Unfortunately, the DNA results had disappeared from the file and no one had a copy. Even the copy she had made and hide in her computer had vanished. She didn't understand how it was possible. Even Wiley wasn't able to give her answers. The young agent had worked all night on it, searching everywhere. But nothing. Whoever had done this should had to be good with computers, if his hacking skills were anything to go by.

She had worked all day with Cho's help to find something that would allow them to stop Riley. But they had found nothing. Finally, the Asian agent had sent Lisbon home. She had of course protested, wanting to keep looking. But he insisted, saying she needed to rest if she wanted to do a good job. So she had agreed and now found herself alone in this impersonal hotel room.

Her phone rang. She grabbed it and a smile lit up her face when she saw Jane's name Jane appearing on the screen. She shook all bad thoughts about Riley away from her mind to focus on Jane. He needed her now and she was going to help him the best she could.

- "Jane, how are you?" She asked, picking up.

- "A bit tired, but I'm fine," he replied. "I wanted to tell you that I won't come back right now."

- "Is there a problem?" Lisbon immediately worried. She thought about his injury and feared for a moment that he must stay in the hospital.

- "Not really a problem," he reassured her. "I just want to stay a little longer ... There is still a baby missing. We haven't found him yet and I want to help. I met the family, at least the mother and grandmother because the father left after he learned about the pregnancy. "Lisbon could hear the pain in Jane's voice." She is so young and her son is the more important thing to her. I want to help find him, I know I can."

Lisbon didn't know what to say. She would have wanted to tell him that it wasn't a good idea, that he was already too invested in this case. It was likely to hurt him more than anything else. On the other hand, he really wanted to help. He himself had lost a child, he knew how much it hurt. He wanted to bring joy back into the life of this young girl, giving her son back. She couldn't deny him that.

- "Will you be gone for long?" She asked in a gentle voice.

- "I don't know but I think that I already know where to start. I have an idea I already discussed with Fischer She approved..."

- "Okay then, I wish you good luck."

There was silence but it was quickly filled by Jane.

- "You seem tense Teresa," he said. "Something wrong?"

- "No, everything is fine," she lied.

- "I know you're lying Teresa," Jane said in a blameless tone. "You know you can tell me anything. If something bothers you, if you have any problems, I need to know. Did you talk to Pike? How did it go?"

Pike. She hadn't seen him after she had told him they had to talk. He had left after that and hadn't come by ever since. He knew what she wanted, she had no doubt about it. She couldn't really blame him, after all, she had dated him for several weeks. But he had developed feelings for her too quickly, much faster than she did. She knew he was going to suffer and she felt sorry.

- "No, I haven't talked to Marcus," she confessed, and she expected reproaches from him, but it didn't happen.

- "If it's not that, then what is it?" He insisted. "I know something's wrong, I can hear it in your voice. Tell me Teresa. I don't like knowing that you're not doing well and I'm too far away to help you."

Could she talk to him, tell him the truth about Volker? Could she confessed to making a deal with the killer? No, she couldn't. She had to protect him and that is why she had to keep silent. She was hurting, but she had no choice. His life was too important. So she tried for something else.

- "It's the case that takes me time," she replied, trying to be persuasive. "Our culprit got away, the evidence disappeared. I want to understand how he did it. I want to find theses evidence to send him to prison once and for all."

- "I trust you Teresa, I know you'll find a way to arrest him and have him condemned. You're the best."

- "You're not objective," she accused him with a smile in her voice.

- "Maybe not, but you're a very good agent," he continued. "You say the evidence has disappeared, even computer's backups?"

- "Absolutely everything," she asserted. "Wiley doesn't understand how this is possible and nevertheless he spent hours searching. I can't stand the idea that a killer can escape. He must know powerful people, he always gets away with anything."

- "You managed to stop Volker and yet he too had the means to get away with his crimes."

Lisbon held her breath at Volker's name. Jane was right, she did manage to arrest him despite his relationships and his power. But he was still in the wild now blackmailing her. She still didn't know what he wanted and her keeping silent weighed so much on her.

- "Teresa, are you still there?" Jane was worried after a few moments of silence.

- "Yes, I'm still here."

- "I think you need to sleep," he announced. "I'll let you, but I'll call you tomorrow night."

- "You can call me at any time if you need to talk you know," she clarified. "I know you don't usually talk about how you feel, but if you need it, I'll always be there to listen."

- "That's nice Teresa," Jane thanked her from the bottom of his heart. "I won't hesitate if I need it. But for now, you should rather sleep and so do I. I'll call you tomorrow."

- "Good night, Jane."

- "Goodnight Teresa."

Lisbon hung up and fell back on the bed, the phone against her heart. Talking to Jane had done her some good, she really needed it. She would have wanted him to come back as planned, but she couldn't blame him for staying. So far, she had known nothing about the case he was working. The only thing she knew was that it was important enough for Jane to be needed in New York. Now she understood. Babies were kidnapped and Jane had helped to find them.

She knew how much this sort of thing could touch him. He still suffered from the loss of his daughter, just like her and yet she didn't know the little girl. She had seen pictures of the child. She was the perfect image of her father: beautiful curly blond hair, big blue eyes full of curiosity and mischief. She was really beautiful and was loved. Her bright smile was proof of it.

Lisbon was hurting thinking of Jane, alone there. Well, not really alone because Fischer was with him. But it wasn't the same. The team leader didn't know him like she did. Fischer was a good agent and a good friend. But she only knew about Jane what she had read in his file. She couldn't help him as he needed.

He would come back soon, he had said so. She trusted him. Moreover, with the problems she was facing right now, between the Riley case and Volker's threats, it was better if he stayed away. She didn't want to risk putting him in danger. As long as he was in New York, he was safe. She didn't want him to come back before she had solved everything. Volker could probably hurt Jane, at least if he was trying to make her suffer. He seemed to know a lot about her, he must have known perfectly well what Jane meant to her.

Riley had threatened her but he didn't know Jane. He hated her, he would look into her past, into her private life. He would find the people who were important to her, he would attack them. The farthest Jane was, the better. Her top priority was locking Riley away. He had to pay for his crimes, and she would make sure of it.

Lisbon finally decided to get up. She went to the bathroom, washed, changed and returned to the bedroom. She was about to fall asleep when her phone rang again. She knew it wasn't Jane. Curious and worried, she grabbed her cell phone and saw Pike's name on the screen. She hesitated before answering, knowing full well that she had to talk to him and she was going to hurt him. She never wanted to hurt him and yet she was about to do just that. She finally answered.

- "Marcus," she said.

- "Teresa, I know it's late," the agent apologized. "But you wanted to talk to me and it's the only free moment I can give you. I'm in front of your house but you don't seem to be there."

- "Yes, I ... I'm out but I'll be right back," she replied. "Give me twenty minutes."

- "I'm waiting."

Lisbon hung up and quickly got up to get dressed and leave. She feared her conversation with Marcus, but she had to. She couldn't let this story drag. He deserved the truth, however difficult it may be. This man was kind, considerate. He was the perfect man, but she never imagined her life with him. They had spent a good time, a great time and even she could never thank him enough. For a few weeks, he had made her happy. He had made her feel like an exceptional woman. It didn't happen to her often.

She hadn't premeditated her night with Jane. She had spent years waiting, more or less. She had never talked about her feelings because she knew he wasn't ready to move on with his life, to start a relationship. She even thought he would never be ready. So when he had come to her that night, when they had kissed, she had let her heart speak.

Now she knew that Marcus would never be the man she would spend the rest of her life with. This man was Jane. She felt guilty for giving false hope to Pike, it wasn't her style at all. She didn't like to make people suffer. But it was done, she couldn't change the past. And to be honest, she didn't want to.

Lisbon finally arrived at her home. Pike was sitting on the porch waiting for her and he stood up when he saw the car parked on the street outside the house. He approached slowly, almost hesitantly. He already knew what she wanted to talk to him about, he already seemed defeated. She felt a painful spike in her heart seeing the man's face so sad.

- "Hi Teresa," he greeted her when she approached him.

- "Hello Marcus," she answered.

They were silent for a moment, staring at each other, not knowing what to say. Finally, Lisbon approached the front door to open it when a car passed on the street. The window opened and everything happened very fast. Lisbon saw the barrel of a gun out of the window, gunshots rang out and she jumped on Marcus. She felt a pain in her left shoulder, heard the screeching tires of the carriage drove off. Then silence.

She stood still for a moment. She felt Marcus' body under her, felt his hands clinging to her back. When she straightened up, she met the anxious gaze of the agent who didn't move. Their eyes met. Then Marcus's hand rested on her cheek, his face moving closer to hers. She saw his lips dangerously close to her own, and she sat up suddenly.

She walked to the door of her house, opened it and went inside, followed by Marcus who hadn't said a word. She ignored the letters on the ground, the LED on the answering machine stating that she had messages. She took off her jacket which she dropped to the ground. She grabbed her cell phone and called Cho to inform him of what had happened.

When she hung up, she took a moment to compose herself. Pike had almost kissed her, and she had almost let him. Why? The adrenaline rush, maybe. He must have thought that being a victim of a shooting in front of her house justified his actions, but she saw things differently. She finally turned to him and saw him walking away toward the door.

- "Marcus wait," she called before he could go. He stopped, but didn't turn to her. "We really need to talk and I propose to do so before Cho gets here."

- "There is nothing to say Teresa," he replied, still not looking at her. "We are no longer together, you chose Jane rather than me. I think everything is clear and I don't want to impose myself."

- "All right," she said in a professional voice to mask her hurt. "But you still have to make a statement."

- "I'd do it tomorrow," he finished before leaving for good.

Lisbon returned to the couch where she fell. She put her hand on her shoulder to see that the bullet had only scratched the surface. She was lucky, she didn't see herself going to the hospital tonight to be checked up on.

Cho came so fast she didn't even have time to get upstairs to the bathroom to clean the blood. He walked directly toward her, carefully examined her shoulder with gentle gestures then got up and went into the kitchen. He returned with a damp cloth and used it to clean her shoulder.

- "What happened exactly Lisbon?" the agent asked, while continuing to wash her shoulder.

-. "I was with Marcus on the sidewalk, we were about to come inside when a car pulled over and a man, at least I suppose, fired on us and one of a bullet grazed my shoulder. I threw myself on Marcus to protect him and the car quickly left. I haven't seen either the plate or the faces of the driver nor the passenger. "

- "You have an idea about who did this," Cho stated.

- "Yes," confirmed Lisbon. "Riley, it has to be him."

- "He doesn't like you. I don't see who else it could be."

Lisbon was certain that it was Riley. Although Volker was after her, he wanted her alive, he wanted to have fun with her. He would never try something like that. It could therefore only be Riley. The man was angry with her because she had arrested him and interfered with his life. He wanted her to pay, as he had told her.

He failed. She would find a way to prove him guilty in this case, and in the death of Amanda Cameron as well. He wouldn't be free for long, he would end his days in prison, where he belonged. She would make sure of it personally. She couldn't let him get away with it, not this time.

- "I saw Pike," Cho continued. "He told me he would see me tomorrow to give a statement but he couldn't stay tonight."

- "I know."

- "Have you talked to him?" he inquired.

- "I haven't had time," the brunette confessed. "I wanted to, but this car has arrived and everything happened so fast." She locked eyes with Cho. "He hates me. He knows I want to break up with him and he keeps delaying the moment as much as possible."

- "When Jane comes back, he won't have a choice," the Asian stated, and it made her smile. "I think your shoulder is fine, no need to go to hospital. See you tomorrow for a complete statement. Meanwhile, you should rest."

- "Thank you Kimball," Lisbon whispered, taking her friend in her arms, which surprised them both. "Thank you for being my friend, for being there for me when I need it." She released him. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

- "Goodnight Lisbon."

Cho finally left and Lisbon found herself alone. She let her eyes move to the envelopes, still on the ground outside the door. Cho must have seen them, but didn't mention them. She would thank him later for his discretion. The answering machine was blinking but she chose not to listen to the messages.

Lisbon got up, went to her room to take a few things and went back downstairs. She picked up the envelopes, stuffed them in her bag, grabbed her jacket and left the house. She got into her car and drove toward the hotel. But when she was almost there, she changed direction. She had no desire to spend another night in that room. She went to the FBI.

Arriving in the parking lot, Lisbon wasn't surprised to discover it empty, except for the guys from the maintenance. She parked in her usual spot, got out of the car, picked up her bag and headed for Jane's Air stream. She took out her key ring and smiled when she noticed there was a new one, smaller than the others, with a _J_ engraved on it. Jane had certainly placed it there without her noticing. She didn't even know why she pulled out her keys, probably out of habit.

She came in and took a deep breath while closing her eyes. Everything here reminded her of Jane. The smells of tea and cologne. She missed him terribly. She was eager for him to come back. She couldn't wait to hug him, kiss him, and make love to him. Once wasn't enough, she wanted more. Years of patience that had been rewarded with a night to remember.

Lisbon placed her bag on the seat, entered the tiny room and plopped down on the bed. She smelled the sweet scent of Jane in the sheets, the pillows. She closed her eyes, imagining that Jane was there, beside her. His arms around her waist, her head against his shoulder. So she fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

**- oooo -**

Jane had trouble sleeping. He kept thinking of Lisbon, so far away from him when he craved her presence. He would have wanted her to be there with him. Alas, she was taken by a difficult case and him with another. Working in law enforcement wasn't the easy way to get a marital life. They had always worked together since the day he came to the CBI. Twelve years of collaborations, twelve years of friendship, loyalty.

Since he had joined the FBI, he was no longer with her team and he had thought he was losing her. When she started dating agent Marcus Pike, he really thought he would lose her for good. She seemed so happy, so free. She was smiling all day, went out at night in the company of Pike. He was happy for her, though secretly he suffered. But Lisbon's happiness was far more important than his own. So he did nothing, said nothing.

Until that night. He hadn't foreseen what would happen. He had spent a bad night, knowing that Teresa had gone out again, spending the evening with Pike. He needed to see her, to reassure his troubled mind. She spent so much time with Pike the both of them didn't have more occasions to spend time together, like they did before. He regretted their evenings where they could talk about everything and nothing. He just had needed it.

Lisbon had, as always, proved to be attentive. She knew he just needed her presence and had given it to him, and a room for the night. He had followed her, too happy to have her near him, even for one night. What had followed wasn't premeditated, but he didn't regret it. He could never regret having Lisbon in his arms, kissing her, touching her, and making love to her. He had been dreaming of it for so long.

He had given free expression to his heart and his desire for this woman, the woman who had always been there for him, who had always supported him. She could have, at any time, left him, deciding she was too tired. But she didn't. He had only loved her more. So that night, he had thanked her by offering her his love. But it hadn't been enough. The doubts and regret had insinuated themselves into her in the morning. What he thought was their favorite memory had become an embarrassment to her, proof of her unfaithfulness to Marcus.

How could he blame her? He couldn't. Teresa had always been a straight woman, a woman of honor. She was in a relationship with Marcus and had cheated on him by spending the night with him, Patrick Jane. How could he blame her of for having regrets and doubts? He had often lied to her, had often gone behind her back. He had done it to protect her. He understood that she could doubt him.

Then, the case had arrived and he had to leave without being able to talk to Teresa. He would have wanted to speak with her, to apologize, to make amends for what he had done. Making love to her was a vow he'd made come true. But it came with a price. Having her in his life, even as a friend, would be enough. He loved her enough to let her do her life with someone else, if she consented to remain his friend.

The flight had been long, but he had taken his mind off things reading the files on the abducted children. As his reading was progressing, he felt his heart breaking more and more for these poor families, for those poor babies. He had talked to Fischer, asked her opinion, had exchanged ideas. Upon arrival, they went directly to FBI headquarters to meet with their colleagues and get to work.

They had spent the better part of the day there before Fischer pointed out to him that they should go to the hotel and get some rest. He had approved. But once alone in his hotel room, he couldn't sleep. His fight with Lisbon, his anger towards her before leaving. He couldn't stand it and he decided to call her, to apologize. Things had gone better than he thought. During the day, Lisbon had realized that she loved him more than she loved Marcus Pike. She apologized, warming his heart. They had talked, open heartedly. They had been honest with each other. And now he was eager to come home to her.

She had problems, he could tell by the sound of her voice when he called at night. She wouldn't tell him anything, he knew it. She had her pride. But he knew she was in trouble and needed help. Her silence told him all he needed to know. She wanted to protect him, just as he had done for her for years. He couldn't leave her alone when he could help.

However, he still had unfinished business here, a child to find. He had spoken with the girl, had seen the sadness in her eyes, and had heard her pain in her voice. He suffered with her. Losing a child was unimaginable. He had lost a child, buried his daughter. No parent should have to go through that, never. He was her last chance to find her son and he would find him.

Jane got up and went to make a cup of tea. Drinking tea always helped him when things weren't well. This drink had always had a calming effect on him, relaxing. He had a way of preparing it and only one other person knew how to prepare it for him. Teresa Lisbon. Just as he was the only one to know how she really liked her coffee. Meaningless things insignificant to some people, but important to them.

When he poured water into his cup, his phone rang. He growled. He didn't like to be disturbed during the preparation of the tea, it put him in a bad mood. Yet he abandoned his preparation to catch his phone. His blood froze when he saw Cho's name and he picked up quickly.

- "Teresa's okay?" He asked in a panicked voice. "Tell me she's okay."

- "There was a shooting outside her home tonight," Cho explained. "A bullet grazed her shoulder as she threw herself on Pike to protect him."

- "But she's okay?" He asked again. "Other than that?"

- "She's fine," Cho stated. "She's a little shaken, angry. But she's fine, just as Pike, if you're ever interested."

- "She had to talk to him," clarified Jane. "But honestly, I don't care about him at the moment. All I care about is Teresa. She has problems, I know, even if she didn't tell me. So I'm asking you, Cho, what is it? "

- "If she didn't tell you anything, I can't tell you."

- "Please Cho, you have to tell me," pleaded Jane, which astonished Cho as Jane never begged. "She has big problems, I know that and I doubt that this is related to her case. Tell me what's going on."

Cho hesitated when he shouldn't . Lisbon trusted him with her secret, he couldn't betray her. But she was in danger. The letters, the calls. She couldn't do anything alone, she would need help. She would blame him for what he was about to do, but he had to.

- "She was threatened," Cho confessed. "Not just by Stuart Riley."

- "What do you mean she was threatened?" Jane panicked. "Who is after her?"

- "I don't know. All I know is that she's been getting letters every day since you left, she received anonymous calls. She had a nightmare and woke up screaming your name... We were driving. That's the only reason I know about all of this. Guess she knows the identity of this person, but she won't tell me. "

- "So this is serious. I have to come back now, she needs me."

- "I thought you had to stay in New York a little longer?"

- "I ..."

He had to stay, to help find this baby. But now, knowing that Teresa was in danger and he was unable to do anything to help her he didn't know what to do.

- "Stay in New York, do what you have to do." Cho told him. "I'll take care of Lisbon until you're back. I will protect her, as I always do. You can trust me."

- "I trust you Cho, you're the only one I trust with Teresa's life. You're the only one who can protect her.

- "You can count on me."

Jane hung up. He stood for a moment standing with his phone in his hand. Teresa did have problems and she hadn't said a word to him. She had kept everything to herself, like him in the past. He had to come back very soon.

Despite the late hour, he called Fischer, asked her to meet him and the team to HQ. He had to find this little boy as soon as possible. He had to go back to Teresa. And the mother of this little boy was eager to see him.

**- oooo -**

Lisbon arrived at the office early and found Cho, already at work. He looked up at her when she stopped in front of him. She was about to thank him for yesterday night, but he interrupted her.

- "Stuart Riley died early this morning," he informed her.

- "What? How?"

- "A bullet in the heart. We'll get the autopsy's report soon, and the ballistics is searching the weapon the bullet was fired with'."

- "Any witnesses?" She asked, settling at her desk.

- "None. But there was a surveillance camera in the street in front of the crime scene," he explained. "Wiley is currently watching it. We should get something soon."

- "Perfect I could say that I'm sad for him, but I'm not," Lisbon stated honestly. "At least now we can compare his DNA with the one found on Amanda Cameron. Even if he is dead, we have our culprit."

Cho said nothing and went back to work. Lisbon turned on her computer and started working. Riley was no longer a threat, which was a good thing. However, she wanted him to pay for his crimes in prison, not the in a morgue. She would finally prove his guilt, but it wasn't enough. There was nothing she could do about it anyway. He was dead, she couldn't change that.

A few minutes later, Wiley came with a dark face. He stopped before Cho, uncomfortable. He was holding a picture in his hand, which he hesitated to show. Lisbon looked up at him, but the young agent refused to meet her gaze. Strange.

- "I have a photo of the shooter," he finally said.

He gave the photo to Cho, who took it. His gaze shifted and he turned his head toward Lisbon which raised a questioning eyebrow. He gave her the photo.

- "What? It's impossible," she said, dropping the photo on the desk. "That can't be true."

Lisbon suddenly got up and disappeared into the hallway. Both agents watched her walk away. They understood her anger, who wouldn"t be angry in her stead. But they still had a job to do, as hard as it was for them.

* * *

><p><span><strong>TBC ...<strong>

* * *

><p><span><strong>AN2****: I know that you wonder who is on the picture. You'll have to wait next week for that. Be patient.**

**Good night.**


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